Journal box



Jan. 14, 1930. R, FLEMING I 1,743,269

JOURNAL .BOX

Filed Feb; 9. 1926 INVENTOR Jwfs /i. flaw/vs.

BY I

' I ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 14, 1936 were JAMES R, FLEMING, OF SGRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL BOX Application filed February This invention relates to journal boxes, and relates more particularly to journal boxes for the axle of mine cars and the like of the type in which the wheels are mounted beneath the car and the car body sills rest directly on the journal boxes.

It is the usual practice in journal boxes of this kind to secure the sills of the car body to stiff springs which in turn are mounted on the tops of the journal boxes so that there may be a certain degree of flexibility in the connection between the body of the car-and the axles. These springs are usually ordinary helical coil springs with their ends beveled so as to present a flat surface for hearing on the car body and the journal box respectively. .In

order to support the weight of the car body and its load these springs must be made so heavy and rigid that they will not bend or rock in a sidewise direction, although they will yield slightly in the direction of their length and may consequently be compressed longitudinally to give a spring suspension for the load.

It is an object of this invention to provide means in a journal box of the character described for permitting sidewise or rocking motion of these springs.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a journal box of this type having an improved lubricant chamber which permits readyflow of the lubricant to the bearing.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved form of wear plate for taking up the thrust in ajournal box of this character.

Other objects andadvantages of my invention will be apparent from the'following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 isa longitudinal cross section of a journal box according to my invention showing a wheel, an axle and a car body support ing spring associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Figure 1;

9, 1926. Serial No. 87,009.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the wear plate used in the journal box.

Referring more particularly to the drawlngs, in which like reference characters denote like parts throughout the several figures thereof, 10 denotes the housing or journal box proper, which is preferably in the form of an integral hollow casting shaped as shown in the drawings. The housing 10 is provided with a partition 11 having a central aperture 12, thus forming a chamber 13 between the end wall of the housing and the partition 11, which is adapted to contain a lubricant. The bottom 14 of the chamber 13 slopes toward the main portion of the housing as shown in Figure 1 for a purpose to be pointed out hereinafter.

The main or central portion of the housing 10 includes a cylindrical chamber 15, in which is mounted a bearing 16, preferably a roller bearing, as shown. The end of the housing 10 remote from the lubricant chamber 13 is enlarged as shown in Figure 1 to form a chamber 17 of larger diameter than the chamber 15, and the wall of the housing 10 forms an internal shoulder 18 between the chambers 15 and 17 A relatively large aperture 19 is formed in the end wall of the housing 10 and provides access to the chamber 17 which in turn communicates with the chamber 18;

The bearing 16 is mounted in the chamber 15 as above described, and a washer 21 is placed at one end of the bearing 16, is preferably flush with the shoulder 18 as shown, and is tightly mounted in the chamber 15 to prevent the escape of lubricant into the chamber 17 except in contact with the axle. An axle 22 is rotatively mounted in the bearing 16 and its inner end projects slightly through the aperture 12 of the housing 10 into the lubricant chamber 13, as shown in Figure 1. The wheel 23 having a hub 24 is secured to V the axle 22, and the inner end of the hub 24 a projects through'the aperture 19 of the housing 10 into the chamber 17 as shown.

A wear plate 25 is mounted in the journal box adjacent to the shoulder 18, and is provided with diametrically opposed ears 26 axis of the axle, the thrust on the hearing will which extend into recesses 27 on either side of the housing 10 as best shown in Figure 2. One or more friction washers 28 are placed on the axle 22 between the wear plate 25 and the inner face of the hub 24.

The Wear plate 25 is prevented from rotating by means of the ears 2'6 projecting into the recesses 27 and is held in position against shoulder 18 by means of bolts 30 which are mounted in the side wall of'the housing 10 as shown in Figure 4. By this constructionthe wear plate 25 also serves as a retaining plate or wall for the bearing 16, so that the journal.

box together with this bearing may be removed as a unit from the axle 22.

The top of the journal box 10 is provided with a projecting cylindrical boss 31 which is preferably cast integral with the housing 10.

A helical spring 32 surrounds the boss 31 and rests upon the top of the journal box on the upper end of the spring. The frame of the car body rests so that the car body is supplied with a spring support.

In originally building a car of this type, the spring is disposed perpendicularly to the axis of the axle but during use it often hapis transmitted throughone side of the spring,

either the inside or the outside thereof. In this latter event, the force is transmitted to theaxle bearing at one side or the other of its center, and of course is therefore not evenly distributed. The result of this uneven distribution is that the localizing of the wear results in the destruction of the bearing and of the axle. However, in order to obviate this disadvantage, Ihave so constructed the hearing seat for the spring that, irrespective of whether or not the axis of the spring is perr pendicular to the axis of the bearing or the be along its center line, that is to say, the line which was originally the axis of the spring.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the draw ings, this result is accomplished by forming a shallow recess 33 in the top of the housing 10 surrounding the boss 31. This recess 33 is provided with two high portions 34- on diametrically opposite sides of the boss 31, and with two low portions 35 midway between the high portions and on opposite sides latter. This is true irrespective of whether or not the spring occupies a perpendicular or an angular posltlon. If the position of the lower coil of the spring is accommodated by the low portions 35 of the recess.

Lubricant may be introduced into the chamber 13 through an aperture in the upper wall thereof which is closed by a threaded grease plug 36, andthis lubricant will work its way around the shaft 22 through the aperture 12 'and into the bearing 16. The sloping bottom 14 of the chamber 13 will assist this flow of the lubricant in an obvious manner. 7

It will also be apparent from the above de- 35 scription that the side thrust ofthe axle'22n will be taken up by the wear plate 25 bearing against the shoulder 18, and will not be transmitted to the bearing, thus saving wear upon the latter. Most of the wear will come upon the plate 25 and the washers 28 and; these may be readilyreplaced when worn to such an extent as to cause-end play.

Many alterations or modifications might be made in the structure'above described'without affecting the spirit of my invention, and I desire to be limited, therefore, only by the claims.

What I claim is 1. A journal box as characterized having prior art and the 'scope'of the appended a hollow interior and a transverse partition dividing said interior to form a'bearing chamber and a lubricant reservoir in open communication through an aperture in said "partition, said reservoir having means for in-f' troducing a supply of lubricant thereto, and

a bottom inclined for delivering the lubricant through said aperture into saidchamber, a

washer removably fitted in-the end of said 2. A journal box as characterized havinga' 115.

hollow'interioranda transversepartition dividing said interior to form abearing chamber and, a lubricant reservoir in open com inunication through an aperturein said partition, said reservoir having means for introducing a supply of lubricant thereto, and ie a bottom inclined for delivering the lubricant through said aperture into said chamber, a'

washer removably fitted in the end of said chamber remote from said reservoir adapted to obstruct the passage of the lubricant from said chamber, and means for preventing the dislodgment of said washer;a friction reducing bearing in said chamber, an axle shaft mounted in said bear ng and extending into said reservoir, a car wheel secured to said shaft and embodying a hub, a wear plate mounted upon said box and between said hub and said washer to hold said washer in place and to take the inthrust of said hub; and means for holding said Wear plate in service as a retaining Wear for said bearing.

JAMES R. FLEMING. 

